Grouse shooting

Grouse shooting benefits the countryside and local communities. It is sustainable, provides employment and funds conservation. Grouse shooting directly affects the people and the places featured in this film. Any change in legislation could have a devastating effect. BASC supports policies based on clear evidence. Duncan Thomas, BASC's Northern director, calls for #NoMoorMyths.
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BASC is the largest shooting organisation in the UK.
If you shoot, you should join.
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or call us on 01244 573000

[@williespeirs6134]

Very little credibility here. Vested interest and very little else. "It's our rainforest" - anyone knows a rainforest is totally unmanaged. Let's have the science to back it up, not quotes of "God's own creation" - How daft does that sound when they're resisting and fighting the ecosystem's reversion to it's natural state. By all means fight your corner and I don't think anyone is demanding any ban on Grouse rough shooting - only driven with it's over keepered, over-managed, un-natural, non-sustainable over production of Grouse.

[@metalowlz5036]

Don’t assume that people who strongly disagree with shooting don’t understand! That’s just another way for shooters to hold their hands over there ears and ignore the bottom line. Ignorance is bless on your part!!!!!

[@sheldream981]

The RSPB cannot campaign against shooting of game birds because its Royal Charter explicitly forbids it. Just think about that for a moment.....

[@ewanburnett]

Nice informative piece on shooting. Not sure if it will sway the opposition can only hope.

[@AmericanHero911]

The opposition needs more detail on how exactly "Moorland Management" protects the diversity of species.

[@janandrews1744]

Excellent video displaying the strength of the economy spent by the shooting community. Every type of shooting adds to the economy and the environment. People from every walk of life contribute to the rural economy. Conservation and management is essential from birds, deer to vermin to keep the countryside beautiful and viable.

[@AmericanHero911]

The countryside would be beautiful and viable without "Moorland management" in fact, probably more so due to the increased diversity. All Moorland Management focus on is promoting the population of grouse that will end up being shot anyway. Think about all the predators like the fox and hen harriers that get killed too. Also burning away the heather is taking out the moisture of the earth and making it more acidic as well as exterminating thousands of insect communities which other wild birds thrive on. If you go into any amount of quality detail about conservation and environment you will end up losing the debate. The economy is the ONLY thing you've got.

[@nathanheggie9506]

Very good video and very true.

[@AmericanHero911]

Is it true they lay down traps to kill foxes and burn heather?

[@360zombiegameplayHD]

@bruce hood this comment just shows how little you do know about game management do your research lad before goin replying to every comment like haha. And heather is burnt because when it regrows birds prefer it and tend to nest in it. foxes are culled as they are vermin and the numbers have to be controlled. shows how liitle you know lol

[@nathanheggie9506]

👍

[@AmericanHero911]

Yz-BRENNAN So you admit that pheasants are worth burning heather for but you call a fox vermin? I may know very little but it sounds like to me they're exploiting the Moorland as some kind of Grouse factory for a blood sport...

[@360zombiegameplayHD]

i work on a restoration project for red grouse and we burn/cut the heather for not just the grouse but also many other birds it is also better for the heather and landscape of the bog after it has regrown

[@TheSpeedGodz]

Great Video. But I wish the unlike trolls would give a reason to dislike so we can at least try to understand what it is that they disagree with,

[@Ptarmi]

In answer to your question I disagree with the continued persecution of raptors. So, for anyone who wonders why there are no Hen Harriers on English Grouse Moors. Fact: While working as a Keeper, I witnessed Sparrowhawks being shot by Keepers! Fact: While working as a Keeper, I witnessed Long Eared Owls being killed by Pole Traps! Fact: While working as a Keeper I witnessed Sparrowhawks being poisoned with Strychnine! Fact: While working as a Keeper, I witnessed Otters being killed by the use of Gin Traps! Fact: While working as a Keeper, I witnessed adult Sparrowhawks being shot at their nest & nearly fledged young left to die. Fact: While working as a Keeper, I witnessed a Keeper jumping out of his van, grabbing his shotgun & chasing a Sparrowhawk across fields ~ EIGHT MILES from his own estate ... over someone else's private land! Fact: While working as a Keeper, I witnessed a Peregrine being shot at by a line of guns, during a drive & this behaviour was quite OK with the Lord who owned the land, who was in attendance that day. ... & before you ask, No, I have never been a member of, or have ever associated with, any Animal Rights group, but I have been a keen Birdwatcher for 60 years & unlike many Keepers, I do love Birds ... ALL Birds! I have however worked full time as an Underkeeper, Falconer, Zoo Keeper, Pest Control Officer & as a youth, I kept a variety of Foreign & British Birds & Canaries in cage & aviary. When it comes to credibility, I suspect that English Keepers will have to wait a little longer & work a little harder, to achieve any sense of trust & credibility in the eyes of the Public. By the way, I'm naturally rather suspicious of the Wader Smokescreen. ... I don't doubt for a minute, that if their presence on Grouse Moors affected Grouse adversely in any way at all, they too would be absent from English Grouse Moors, too & as scarce as Hares are becoming on many Driven Grouse Moors! N.B. For the record: It has been illegal to use Pole Traps in the UK since - 1904! It has been illegal to kill Birds of Prey in the UK since 1954! It has been illegal to use Gin Traps in the UK since 1958!

[@hoggy1707]

+Dick Glasgow sounds like this was some time ago Dick! Fact : Stricniene has been band for a very long time and has a shelf life so will have been useless for a good few years.

[@Ptarmi]

The Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee heard evidence on the call for the licensing of all game bird hunting in Scotland (grouse, pheasant and partridge shooting). PE1615 by Logan Steele on behalf of Scottish Raptor Study Group on state regulated licensing system for gamebird hunting in Scotland and take evidence from- Logan Steele; Duncan Orr-Ewing; Andrea Hudspeth (Starts at 40 mins.) www.scottishparliament.tv/20161027_public_pets

[@AmericanHero911]

It would be better if they didn't make false claims stating without moorland management all life would vanish. I hardly think that's true but I'm open minded to look at any examples.

[@sheldream981]

If you wish to enlighten yourself with some science on Red Grouse Population dynamics, the article below is a good starting point - You will find that predation by either humans or raptors has very little effect on population size the following spring as hunting by reduces competition for food and territory, and reduces pararatic death by starvation so the same number survive the winter whether they are hunted or not. Same with Wood pigeons and many other so called game birds. So all the gamekeepers illegally killing Raptors are wasting their time and adding to clamour for shooting to be banned . onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12098/abstract

[@sheldream981]

This is propaganda. It is only Driven Grouse shooting which the current campaign is against, not the walk up type. And it is undeniable that Birds of Prey are illegally killed in their hundreds by Gamekeepers on the driven grouse moors. Whitendale was alive with Raptors 15 years ago,attracting lots of birders who spent money in local cafes and pubs, today it is devoid of both raptors and birders. .

[@BASCfilms]

Sheldream, We do not deny reality. You may be interested to see this web page and the attached article, written by our acting CEO: basc.org.uk/blog/press-releases/latest-news/basc-address-raptor-persecution-in-todays-times-newspaper/ Killing raptors is wrong in every way. We made the film to highlight the benefits that come from grouse shooting and highlight what would be lost if driven grouse shooting was stopped. It is a complex subject and we fear that many people do not understand the consequences that could come from the banning of driven grouse shooting. There is no denying that we should do everything we can to stop wildlife crime, and to protect vulnerable wildlife but just banning driven grouse shooting would cause more harm than good - it is not the solution to the problem of raptor persecution.

[@bengreen171]

@@BASCfilms so why are n't you pushing the government to increase the punishment for those found to be involved in raptor persecution. At the moment the fines are a pittance. It's akin to the way oil companies can absorb any punishment they receive from spills and leaks, because it's less than it would actually cost to reform their operating systems.

[@Gorantaylis]

Telling you now that I, nor my family have received ZERO benefit in 12 years of living in the countryside from Grouse Shooting.

[@extonville]

Well said! You and many others!

[@huntingsolutions6005]

Great film that speaks the TRUTH - unlike the bitter and twisted misinformation peddled by Avery and his mate with the speech impediment. Well done Duncan and BASC!

[@AmericanHero911]

The truth is "moorland management" is aimed at ethnic cleansing and an unnatural boost in grouse population. How is that diversity?

[@hazellagriculturalservices3614]

Well done BASC!

[@williespeirs6134]

No vested interest here then.

[@roberthogarth8361]

Excellent informative piece well done BASC keep up the good work let's hope some of the opposition remove their heads from their arses and realise what we keepers do on a daily basis to benefit a wider array of species and communities across Britain especially up here in Scotland! Well done to all involved 👍

[@AmericanHero911]

It's organisations like BASC that would see natural predators like the fox driven from the Moorland. It's ethnic cleansing with only money as the motivation. Moorland management is all about bloating the grouse population for slaughter and killing anything that hinders that business.

[@AmericanHero911]

Yz-BRENNAN So why do they make it so obvious? They burn heather, what does that say? The poach foxes and other predators. It's all about promoted high Pheasant Population - there is no nature in that and you know it.

[@360zombiegameplayHD]

haha you could not be more wrong. they do not poach them first of all we have the right to kill predators. if we did not there numbers would get far to big which they already are as they are at the top of the food chain. mink are one of these predators they actually kill not just for there food but for fun. they would clear out a river of trout in no time and leave them on the side of the bank they do the same to pheasants and other animals.

[@AmericanHero911]

Yz-BRENNAN So how did they manage to survive without human hands to begin with? Nature always finds away unless humans have an agenda.

[@360zombiegameplayHD]

you know fuck all the reason there are to many foxes and other vermin is because of humans waste from humans is making shure that foxes have more food and the last few years with the summers etting longer its allowing foxes to have more litters so for every female there could be another 12 off it every year if we dont keep ontop of these numbers there would be way to many around and in some areas where te numbers are not controlled they have been known to come into peoples houses looking for food and coming into towns alot more as there numbes are to big. you just dont get it mate haha

[@bengreen171]

Pheasants are one of the major predators of ground nesting birds, reptiles and amphibians. I've been on keepered moors and they are wildlife deserts. The management of the land has historically favoured only grouse - other wildlife needs a patchwork of different habitats. If these guys really do sphagnum moss reintroduction, that's excellent - but you have to actually ask yourself why it needs reintroducing. It kinda sounds like boasting that you're going out mending cars...because you've written off so many. I'm not inherently against shooting - but let's be real here. The persecution of Britain's birds of prey is a massive blot on grouse and pheasant shooting. And frankly, it says a lot when your first priority is money. Yes, a lot of people rely on shooting - but that's because the economy artificially skews in favour of it. To claim that people cannot earn money doing other things is simply false. At one point in time a lot of people relied on the asbestos industry - but no-one would claim we shouldn't have put an end to that. The fact is that a 'myth' can only be refuted with data. I saw no data here, merely anecdote. I'm not saying the shooting industry cannot ensure the conservation of a diverse range of wildlife - but from my experience the people in it claim a lot more than they are entitled to concerning their stewardship of the land.

[@eagleowlfeathers4156]

£100 million, where have you plucked that from . Your'e just guessing (and lying)

[@BASCfilms]

Many details explained and referenced here: basc.org.uk/blog/press-releases/latest-news/the-benefits-of-grouse-shooting-interactive-infographic/

[@WildlifeBirdsUK]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnavkmWClquoptE yes they are.

[@bengreen171]

@@BASCfilms I know it's 6 years ago - but linking to a blog post that no longer exists doesn't fill me with confidence.

[@Buzzardbushcraft]

If you didn't illegally destroy the raptors no one would have a problem with grouse shooting.. leave the birds of prey alone!

[@Ptarmi]

The fact is, nobody is asking for an end to Grouse Shooting, just the Driven form, so this whole presentation is actually based on a false premise. ...Of course, the same sort of doom & gloom scenario was peddled against the ban on Fox Hunting, with predictions of a complete breakdown of country life & rural communities & yet 11 years on, little has changed. So those predictions were way off the mark, just as the ones in this video are, I suspect. Sure, some jobs were lost when the Fox Hunting Ban came in, just as jobs were lost when bear baiting, bull fighting and dog fighting were banned here, but I would suggest that that's the price of a country becoming more civilised ... By the way, I was not surprised at all, to see that the most important aspect of the debate, for me at least, was completely ignored in this video, namely the illegal persecution of our protected birds of prey by upland Gamekeepers to the point of near extinction of one species from moorland, which incidentally we're constantly being told is so well managed that it absolutely perfect for raptors! ... The fact is though, 69% of all those convicted of crimes against raptors over the past 25 years have been Gamekeepers, so nobody is in any doubt that Gamekeepers are behind the near extinction of Hen Harriers from English moorland. If they are permitted to get away with the complete destruction of an entire species from the English countryside, which species will they target next, the Mountain Hare perhaps?